In the name of infrastructure development across city, project proponents approached the Garden Department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for approval to fell more than 941 trees in the first quarter of this year, revealed a data provided by a group of citizens and environment activists on Wednesday. The data is compiled by the group on the basis of notices published by the Garden Department in local newspapers between January and March 2024. According to the data, 11 project proponents, including government and private both, sought permission of the Garden Department to fell at least 941 trees, including 38 heritage trees, for various construction works during the period. Industrial Training Centre, Nagpur, asked the Garden Department’s permission to fell a staggering 255 trees for the construction of a branch of Aeronautical Structure Equipment Fitter Building.

 

 

 

For the strengthening of Ambazari lake, the Irrigation Department proposed to fell 188 trees in the month of February. Maha Metro Railway Corporation Limited raised the demand for felling of 115 trees for construction of underground tunnel. In another proposal the NMC asked the Garden Department to cut 102 trees for the construction of a tank in Gorewada area for immersion of idols. All these proposals were raised during the month of February. “Publishing notice in newspapers is just a formality by the Garden Department. We raised objections against the proposals but nothing has happened so far.

 

We don’t know whether the trees were saved,” said Anasuya Kale Chhabrani, a green activist and the member of the group which compiled the data. “The data which we compiled is for the three months. We are still working on the proposals the Department received in the months of April and May. All these proposals are recorded because the Garden Department had published it in newspapers. But there are many trees that were chopped off illegally this year which are not even documented by the Department,” said Chhabrani.